Antoniolli's assets stripped after suspension from council

Hayden started in 2013 as a cadet journalist on the Fraser Coast Chronicle before relocating to Fairfax Media in Tasmania three years later. Hayden joined the Queensland Times in November 2017 as a political journalist with a focus on Ipswich City Council. He has covered two state and one federal budget.

MAYOR Andrew Antoniolli's council assets have been stripped and his access to the Ipswich City Council has been restricted after he was suspended by the State Government.

Legislation passed earlier this week gave Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe the power to remove councillors and mayors facing criminal charges.

With Cr Antoniolli alleged to have committed seven counts of fraud, Mr Hinchliffe moved to suspend him.

The mayor intends to fight the charges.

A spokesman for the Ipswich City Council confirmed Cr Antoniolli's suspension meant he was "formally relieved of any official duties".

"His access to council premises other than public areas is removed except on invitation," the spokesman said.

"For the term of the suspension he will return council assets such as the car, phone and laptop, which were provided for the purposes of his council duties."

Cr Antoniolli has remained out of the public spotlight since he left the Ipswich watchouse on May 2.

The council spokesman confirmed Cr Antoniolli's wife, Karina, was also expected to reduce her mayoress duties.

"The role of the mayoress is not an office of council and therefore not subject to any conditions of Cr Antoniolli's suspension," he said.

"However it would be expected that Mrs Antoniolli's activities in that respect would be confined."

Mr Hinchliffe accelerated changes to the Local Government Act in the wash-up of his notice to dismiss the Ipswich City Council.

"The impacts we've already seen are devastating, on the morale of council staff, including on the personal well-being of individuals and on council's ability to deliver good policy outcomes and on the Ipswich community as a whole," he told state parliament.

"I have reached the conclusion that Ipswich City Council can no longer function effectively."

Today is the deadline for the council to respond to a show-cause notice.